The bustling streets of the town were thick with tension.
"Was that you who attacked just now?" Kurenai Yūhi stared intently at Genya, her eyes wide with disbelief and shock.
A surge of astonishment roiled within her, like waves crashing in a storm. She thought to herself:
Could it be that Genya no longer wants to hide his strength? Why would he act now, at such a critical moment?
"Did you see me make a move? Didn't she just fly back on her own?" Genya blinked, wearing an expression of utter innocence. His tone was casual, as if nothing that just happened had anything to do with him.
It had to be said—when it came to playing innocent, Genya was unmatched.
He knew very well that as long as he didn't want to reveal himself, no one could easily see through his disguise.
Even those with the Byakugan couldn't perceive the unfathomable depth of chakra within him.
"Oh~" Kurenai Yūhi suddenly understood. A faint, meaningful smile curved her lips.
She thought to herself that even now, Genya was still playing right into his plans. Everything seemed to remain under his control.
The two exchanged a glance and then walked forward together, their steps steady and resolute.
As for Tsunade? Watching Genya leave in his drunken, angry state, her fury flared.
She glared at his retreating back, her rage burning fiercely, and instinctively shouted, "You little Uchiha brat! Stop right there!"
Then she tried to chase after him, determined to get an explanation.
But the moment she moved, Shizune, quick and alert, blocked her path. Her face was anxious, her voice edged with pleading, "Lady Tsunade, Lady Tsunade, if you go now, we'll be in danger. We can confront them tomorrow!"
Shizune knew well that although she didn't understand exactly how Tsunade had been knocked away, if the still-dizzy Tsunade went after the Uchiha now, she would likely suffer for it.
Her plan was to wait until Tsunade was fully conscious, then explain everything clearly.
As she spoke, Shizune guided Tsunade back toward the inn, trying to calm her anger and restore her composure.
Just as the two were at an impasse, a group of people marched in, loud and imposing.
At the front was the sleazy man who had just been punched by Tsunade.
Now, blood dried at the corner of his mouth, he looked both pathetic and furious.
Beside him stood a stern, imposing middle-aged ninja.
"Boss, she hit me! You have to help me get revenge!" The sleazy man pointed a trembling finger at Tsunade, his voice full of anger and resentment, as if he had suffered a grave injustice.
Hmm? The middle-aged ninja at the head frowned slightly, his gaze slicing toward Tsunade like a blade.
However, when he clearly saw Tsunade's face, his originally cold eyes suddenly blazed with heat. He strode forward with a mischievous smirk on his face and said, "You hit my underling. Don't you know this is my territory? Dare to touch my men… today, you won't get away…"
Bang! Before he could finish speaking, a fist imbued with immense power slammed into his abdomen like a cannonball.
The middle-aged ninja didn't even have a chance to react. He was thrown back like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
At this moment, Tsunade's anger had already reached its peak, her heart filled with fury, and she didn't hold back at all.
After falling to the ground, the jonin spat blood, his eyes tightly shut, and immediately lost consciousness, his fate uncertain.
"I… Boss!"
"Boss…"
"No! The boss is unconscious! That woman knocked him out!"
"Devil!"
"Run! She's a devil!"
"Run~"
Amid the chaotic shouting, the subordinates who had come with the jonin were instantly terrified and scattered in all directions. Not a single one dared to attack Tsunade again.
In their eyes, anyone capable of severely injuring their boss must be a terrifying force with unfathomable strength.
Not far away, something with a bizarre shape, like a man-eating plant, slowly emerged from the ground.
The plant's two massive mouths opened slowly, revealing a stark black-and-white interior.
Its gaze swept across the surroundings, eventually fixing on Tsunade.
"He… it's her. I didn't expect to meet her here!" Zetsu's lips twisted into a strange curve as he spoke, his voice sounding as if it came from the depths of hell.
"Itachi and Kisame have been searching for this medical ninja. I didn't expect to run into her here!"
Seeing Kisame's recent desperate search for a medical ninja, Zetsu understood in his heart that Itachi's condition must have worsened again.
He silently prayed: I hope Itachi can make it here!
Thinking this, he slowly spoke, his voice low but full of anticipation: "I wonder if Tsunade will treat Itachi…"
Muttering these words, he sank gradually into the ground, disappearing without a trace.
In a dark and quiet cave, Itachi and Kisame were resting with their eyes closed.
Their figures appeared somewhat blurred in the dim light, the rings on their fingers flickering with a mysterious glow, as if they were immersed in a secret spiritual world.
Cough… At that moment, a faint yet heart-wrenching cough broke the silence of the cave.
Itachi slowly opened his eyes, once deep and abyss-like, now carrying a pale, sickly hue.
His gaze drifted toward the outside of the cave, revealing a hint of helplessness and exhaustion.
"Itachi, your condition has worsened again!" Kisame looked at Itachi's pale, paper-like face, worry filling his heart. He suddenly stood, his expression both determined and urgent.
"Come on, let's go to that small town Zetsu mentioned. It's not far from here. We'll surely be able to find Tsunade!"
Kisame's voice brimmed with hope, as if finding Tsunade could cure Itachi's illness.
Ever since their last encounter with Atsukara under Orochimaru, Itachi had been showing these worrying symptoms.
As time passed, his health steadily declined, growing weaker year by year.
Over the past few years, Kisame had traveled across nearly the entire ninja world searching for a skilled medical-nin for Itachi, yet all his efforts had been in vain.
So this time, they pinned all their hopes on Konoha's top medical ninja, Tsunade Senju.
But Tsunade's whereabouts were extremely secretive, like a shadow hidden in the mist, impossible for anyone to track easily.
If not for Zetsu revealing her location through a mysterious spiritual space, Kisame might never have found a trace of her.
****
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